Safety window for counters



p 1962 ANNA MARIA ASPRION NEE GOERZ SAFETY WINDOW FOR COUNTERS Filed Oct.

,35, CUSTOMER SIDE INVENTOR.

FIG. 5.

3 ANNA MARIA ASPRlON,ne GOERZ CASHIER sum,

ATTORNEY United States Patent Claims priority, application Germany Oct. 14, 1958 3 Claims. (Cl. 10912) My invention relates to counters and especially to bank counters through which great amounts of cash are handed out.

One object of my invention is that the clerk behind his counter can see his customer without the possibility of coming into any difiiculties by somebody threatening him with a pistol or a machine gun.

Another object of my invention is that the clerk and his customer may talk with each other and exchange important documents of any kind or size without danger of the clerk becoming the victim of an unexpected attack.

Another object of my invention is that even in the case of such an attack including the use of high power machine guns the safety window will remain just as useful as before.

The invention consists of using instead of the customary silicate glass in one or more layers a transparent artificial material of low brittleness and of a thickness of more than inch.

Such characteristics for instance are possessed by polymethylacryl derivates well known under the trade mark Plexiglas.

On the lower part of a safety window according to my invention are preferably provided two thick plates of Plexiglas or a like material bent into the form of a half cylinder, arranged concentrically to each other and locked relative to each other such that the one cylinder can be turned freely for about 180 if the other one is in its safety-position, i.e. closes up the window perfectly.

Other and more limited objects of my invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of the safety window, without the cover plate on the bottom.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section view through the safety window taken substantially on line IIII of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross section view taken substantially on line III-III of FIG. 2.

The safety window for counters according to my invention has in addition to the flat and transparent plates 1 and 2 still two plates 3 and 4 bent into the shape of half cylinders and arranged upright and turnable concentrically to each other. All the plates 1 to 4 are made of polymethylacryl-derivates as for instance of Plexiglas and have a thickness of 1 to 1.5 inches. Both half cylinders 3 and 4 are closed up on their ends by disks 5 to 8 which are freely turnable in their double bearings 9 and 10. The disk 6 used as pay plate may be of any suitable material while the disks 7 and 8 may be of thick Plexiglas and serve as a flat window for controlling the correct settlement of the intended business transaction, provided that the cylinders 3 and 4 are not much higher than about 10 inches.

In the drawing it is assumed that the cylinders 3 and 4 are exceedingly high and a frame consisting of a cross bar 11 and vertical columns 12 and 13 is provided for rigidly supporting the double bearings 10. The column 13 re- "Ice mains in closed contact with the outer side of the cylinder 3 while the column 12 only near the ends of both cylinders comes into contact with them.

The half cylinders 3 and 4 are turned by levers 14 and 15 fastened on shafts 16 and 17 which bear chain wheels 18 and 19* and locking disks 20 and 21. The chain Wheels 18 and 19 are connected by chains 22 and 23 to chain wheels 24 and 25. The chain wheel 24 is fastened to the shaft 26 of the inner half cylinder 4, the chain wheel 25 is fastened on the hollow shaft 27 of the outer half cylinder 3. A locking bar 28 is guided in bearing blocks 29 and 30. It is so long that its one end has to rest in one of the notches 31 to 34 of the locking disks 20 and 21 before it can release the other locking disk. The notches are arranged so that either cylinder 3 or 4 can be turned only if the other cylinder is in its safetyposition, i.e. is fully turned in one of its end positions. FIG. 3 shows both cylinders in their end positions such that the customer on his side 35 of the window cannot reach the paying disk 6 while the clerk in the counter room 36 can freely reach the disk 6 and can take off or put down important documents without any danger.

What I claim is:

1. A safety window for counters comprising a frame defining a substantially rectangular opening, a first window member of semicylindrical shape vertically rotatably mounted in the opening defined by said frame and being of a size to cover the opening, a second window member of smaller semi-cylindrical shape vertically rotatably mounted in the opening defined by said frame, said first and second window members disposed concentrically to each other in interfitting relation on the same axis of rotation and being rotatable relative to each other, individual rotation control means connected with each of said window members for imparting individual rotative movement thereto, and locking means connected intermediate and cooperating with said rotation control means for selectively locking the rotation control means of one of said window members while simultaneously unlocking the rotation control means of the other of said window members to permit rotative movement to be imparted to the other of said window members.

2. A safety window for counters as set forth in claim 1 in which said first and second window members of semicylindrical shape have top and bottom portions, substantially semi-circular members closing the top portions thereof, and members of circular configuration closing the bottom portions thereof.

3. A safety window for bank tellers and the like comprising, a frame defining an opening, a first window member of substantially semi-cylindrical shape mounted axially vertically in the opening defined by said frame to cover the opening and mounted for rotatable movement therein and adapted when rotated to project forwardly and rearwardly of said frame, a second window member of substantially semi-cylindrical shape having a curvature radius less than said first window member mounted axially vertically in the opening defined by said frame and mounted for rotatable movement therein and within said first semi-cylindrical window member and concentric therewith and adapted when rotated to project forwardly and rearwardly of said frame, separate rotation control means connected with each of said window members for imparting independent rotative movement thereto whereby both of said windows can be arranged simultaneously on either side of said frame in adjacent interfitting relation or one on each side of said frame in opposed relation, and locking means connected intermediate said separate rotation control means for selectively locking the independent control means of one of said Window members and unlocking the independent control means of the other of said window members to permit rotative movement to be imparted to the other of said window members by the other of said independent rotation control means to thereby have two window members between the teller and the customer when said window members are in either of their extreme positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hecht June 8, 1920 Elliott Apr. 3, 1945 Ellithorpe Jan. 10, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain July 2, 1937 Great Britain Mar. 3, 1938 

